Rooftop Prince: Episode 3

So cute. I’m surprised at how much humor you can tease out of the fish-out-of-water premise. On one hand, there are endless modernities to comment on, but on the other, you might think the jokes would start to wear thin. But they continue to be surprisingly funny — and some of them will have you clutching your aching sides and snorting foodstuffs where they don’t belong. Even though I’m fully aware that this show could at any point head down a bad path of craziness (the unfunny kind) and tiresome inheritance fights, for now I’m rolling with the humor and loving it all.

Ratings are creeping up for Rooftop; The King 2 Hearts remains in first place but dropped a few points. Today’s episodes brought Prince an 11.2% against King’s 14.5%. Equator Man recorded an 8.1%. I think all three shows are solid, so it’s actually too bad they’ve got to go up against each other, but that’s the name of the game.

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EPISODE 3 RECAP

Granny excitedly announces that Tae-yong has returned from the thought-to-be-dead, to his cousin Tae-mu’s shock. You know, since he killed him and all.

Naturally, Prince Yi Gak has no idea who these people are and removes Granny’s arm from his, telling her she’s mistaken. She insists it’s him, that he must know his grandmother.

Yi Gak gets affronted at her insistence and declares he’s never seen her before. She beats his chest, telling him to snap to his senses, and in shock he shoves her away. Tae-mu steps in and grabs his shirt, demanding to know who the hell he is.

Outside, the stepsisters run into each other and Se-na tries to send Park-ha away — she can’t have Tae-mu seeing her again. The prince’s roar cuts into the air, and his attentive vassals alert to the rally cry. They dash inside the house calling, “Prince!” just as Tae-mu is about to shove Yi Gak into the wall. Yong-sool (Blue Man) grabs the attacker and slams him into a glass hutch, sending Grandma into a swoon.

The boys escort Princey away, and Park-ha gapes in shock at the mess. Tae-mu waves her away wearily, not getting a good look at her.

As they drive away, Park-ha rips into Yi Gak for fighting on the job, reminding him that she’d warned him to stop using those (antiquated) words like “Villain!” and “Scoundrel!” — ’cause people tend to get angry when you call them that.

I love that the three boys in the back of the truck (Green, Yellow, Blue — can I just call them the Aqua Men?) press their faces to the glass, sympathetically watching their leader get reamed by the tiny lady.

Yi Gak blusters that she’s being too shouty, but she slams the brakes at a red light and turns on him fiercely, making him shrink back nervously. She warns him not to go around using banmal with everyone and calling them names. OR ELSE.

He looks like a little boy getting scolded by his kindergarten teacher, so it’s extra hilarious that he tries to recover his dignity by pointing at the green light (distraction!) and ordering her to drive.

Grandma laments the fight, saying that clearly something has happened to Tae-yong and that they should’ve talked to him calmly. Oh, haha, this is great. The situation isn’t funny, but I enjoy the subversion on the typical amnesia theme — she may think he’s got it, but nope, he’s just your average time-warping royal.

Tae-mu argues that this isn’t Tae-yong, which he certainly hopes is true, but Grandma is convinced she’s right, arguing that he managed to find his way home. That’s a good point, and she orders Tae-mu to bring him back. Then she changes her mind, telling him no, she’ll have her secretary Se-na do it instead.

Tae-mu leaves in confused frustration, while Grandma CEO instructs Se-na to bring back that mover.

Park-ha digs through the neighborhood clothing donation bin for new (old) clothing for the Aqua Men (and Red), saying that their coordinating looks are drawing strange glances. Yi Gak looks put out when Yong-sool accepts the shirt she gives him, and puffs up when Man-bo declines, preferring their tracksuits. (Aw, does Princey like their matching outfits?)

Some flattery soon gets Man-bo to cave, and Chi-san is downright eager to change — Park-ha has to stop him before he strips right there, in the street. His taste is questionable, though, since he beelines for yellow sequins, HA. (Man-bo: “But is it not too sparkly?” Chi-san: “Is there anything wrong with sparkly?” Wise words.)

Or maybe Yi Gak is just put out to be thoroughly ignored while Park-ha attends to the Aqua Men, because when she finally turns to him, he’s ready to graciously deign to be given new clothes. But Park-ha changes her mind — nevermind, one of them can keep his tracksuit because they won’t be matching anymore. Haha. I just love how she knows just how to poke that hole in his ego balloon, refusing to treat him like he’s special.

The Aqua Men head off, happy with their selections, while Red remains standing by the recycling bin like a proud, disappointed puppy. He even makes a furtive grab for a black blazer, then reluctantly leaves it behind to join his group, forcing the “I don’t care, really I don’t” attitude back in place.

Next, the shoe bin. Again Yi Gak pretends he’s not interested while casting a side-eye at the selections. Park-ha finds Yong-sool a pair of shoes, and then Chi-san comes running down the street with a discovery: boots fit for a king. Haha, they’re just a pair of black boots, but they’re similar to the kind he’d wear back in his day, so the boys applaud the find.

Tae-mu mulls over his encounters with Park-ha, and asks his subordinate to track her down, based on what he knows of her grocery delivery service. It’s a personal matter of some sensitivity, so the man promises secrecy.

Park-ha takes her troop to a building, instructing them to change in the bathroom. (Should I be worried that she didn’t specify which bathroom? Cackles in anticipation.)

As they walk by, an elevator arrives and the doors open, which sends Yong-sool jumping back warily. I love how their personalities are showing, because it’s the scholarly Man-bo who remains unruffled, and reminds his brawny friend that they learned about the automatic lifting machine yesterday.

Chi-san peers inside at the empty, four-walled chamber and suggests, “I think we can change our clothes in here.” HAHAHA. Oh, this is even better than bathroom shenanigans.

And so, this is the scene that awaits the third-floor aerobics class:

Omfg. Wiping away literal tears.

I love that the ladies squeal and angle closer for a better look, while it’s the men who are traumatized. They scramble for their clothing, before the doors open again. But not fast enough. Two floors up, a gaggle of schoolgirls is treated to a similar scene.

The girls declare, “Daebak!” and whip out their camera phones. They pelt the men with snack foods and yell “Pervert!”

Park-ha grows concerned and heads inside to find her lost flock, asking the security guard, “Have you seen four strange men?” The guard points at his security camera, trained on the elevator.

So when the doors open, she stands there glaring, arms crossed. Adorably, they look relieved — they really are like ducklings imprinting on a mother figure — although Yi Gak’s relief comes out in the form of a shout, accompanied by his monster head-tilt of haughtiness, “WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!”

As they drive by Changdeokgung Palace again, Yi Gak insists she stop. She’s got way more important things to do than knocking down the doors of a closed palace, so she continues on to the next job, where Yi Gak again stands uselessly, refusing to work. She dangles the carrot: If he works, she’ll take him to the palace.

Magic words. He vows to work his hardest, joining his men in the cleaning of a storefront (hers, readying for opening). Hilariously, the boys grab the supplies out of reach, trying to prevent him, like it’s an affront to decency for the prince to do manual labor. They try to wrench the mop out of his hands and promise to work extra-hard.

Tae-mu tracks down Park-ha to the shop and watches from a distance as the boys clean. Yi Gak is working so diligently that he cuts his finger on a metal rack, which sends the others into a tizzy at the sight of blood. Man-bo tells him to lift his hand high into the air, so he anxiously shoots it up as far as he can.

Park-ha laughs and heads to the pharmacy, and upon recognizing Tae-mu standing there, she apologizes for earlier. They sit down for a cup of coffee as she offers to compensate him for damages, but he tells her that’s unnecessary. He asks about the red-suited mover, and she tells him that he’s one of her workers, and assures Tae-mu that he’s never been to his house before.

Tae-mu requests that if she gets a call asking for Red Suit, she should answer that she doesn’t know where he is. Ah, so he’s working against his girlfriend, is he? Se-na’s operating on Grandma’s orders so it looks like he’ll have to keep one step ahead of her.

He’s pretty smart about it, actually, telling Park-ha that the damages will be quite expensive, so if she says she doesn’t know where Red Suit is, he can take care of the costs for her. Then he gives her some expensive gift certificates from his company, calling it promotional freebies.

Se-na arrives in the neighborhood looking for Park-ha, having been directed here by Mom. She passes right by Yi Gak — still dutifully holding his finger in the air — but since he’s no longer in his tracksuit, she walks right past him. Finding Park-ha, she asks for Red’s contact information. Park-ha replies that she doesn’t know his name or whereabouts, since she was just using him as a day worker.

Then Park-ha fixes up the cut with a Band-Aid, and he winces in pain like a big baby. Ya big wuss.

Se-na and Tae-mu go out to dinner, where she asks if the guy really looked like his long-lost cousin. Tae-mu glosses it over, insinuating that Grandma’s been seeing Tae-yong doubles recently.

This couple reminds me of the backstabbing duo in 49 Days, but I like that there’s a key difference: It seems Tae-mu’s the earnest one in love, and he proposes a vacation to England soon. You know, to meet her mother, the professor at a British university. Se-na has clearly been lying about her origins (hence her nervousness about Park-ha’s existence), and she deflects, saying they can meet her when she comes to Korea.

At home, Park-ha instructs her ducklings in hangul. (I’d assumed they’d already known it since the alphabet was invented before their time warp, but it’s true that hangul wasn’t universally adopted right away. The literati in particular would have stuck with hanja, as well as the educated elite.)

The next day, Park-ha takes Yi Gak to the palace, as promised. It’s crowded with tourists, but for him the place has much deeper meaning. The visitors melt away as he stares at the pond where he lost his princess, simultaneously envisioning memories of himself walking happily along the bridge, and her corpse floating in the water.

Park-ha finds him crying by the water, though she tactfully ignores his tears and offers him coffee. He takes a sip and shudders at the bitterness.

She receives a call that has her heading for the next train out of the station, dragging Yi Gak along with her. Literally. She has to pull him onto the strange metal marvel, and as they ride, she drills him in modern speak. She asks why he was crying earlier, and he coughs in embarrassment, saying the coffee made him cry. She points out that he was crying before that, and he turns to her with panic — she can’t tell his men! They can’t know he was seen crying!

What makes me love Park-ha is in her reaction: She sizes up his desperation, and uses it as a threat to force him into using that pesky polite speech he can’t be bothered with. I like the way her mind works. It’s not devious, it’s resourceful! So Yi Gak dutifully complies, ordering from the food cart girl with Park-ha’s intonation, in sing-songy falsetto. Pffffft.

They arrive at their destination to meet Park-ha’s contact. Turns out she’s got a deal with a farm for strawberries to sell in her store. Unfortunately she didn’t get the memo that in order to get the low price she’ll have to do the picking, which requires extra hands. At least she has one extra set with her — they’re reluctant hands, but she threatens to kick the prince out of her home if he doesn’t help.

He refuses to work anyway, leaving Park-ha to pick alone, grumbling about how she’s going to evict him. He wanders the town instead, stopping to read a sign written in hanja which falls and breaks on the ground. Residents glare accusingly, and he defends himself in that newfangled modernspeak, which is hilarious because he’s saying modern words (“It wasn’t me, I swear!”) but still in his lofty sageuk intonation.

The next thing we know, Yi Gak sits with calligraphy brush and ink. Initially the miffed citizens look annoyed, but as he starts writing, they’re awed at the beauty of his script, which was lauded even in his day. He hasn’t just replaced the sign, he’s created a work of art.

Yi Gak comes back to the farm happily sucking on a popsicle, and even has one for Park-ha. He looks so pleased with himself, but she’s peeved and knocks it away, accusing him of mooching off of her hard work. When they get back, he’s kicked out.

Suddenly a crowd of townfolk arrives, ready to repay their artist by doing some picking, led by the farm manager. Park-ha’s stunned, while Yi Gak looks self-satisfied to have pulled his weight after all. And then he picks up the second popsicle and eats that, too.

The extra labor means they finish ahead of schedule, so they go to an amusement park while awaiting their train. Yi Gak is amazed at cotton candy; I love that the prince has a sweet tooth.

Park-ha decides she wants to play for a stuffed animal (a radish, to hang at the store), and gets to work. (Princey starts eating her cotton candy, too. Cute.) She fails, so he asks to try and they both get absurdly invested in the game, until finally he wins.

Yi Gak loves rubbing it in, over and over, how much help he was today and how she’d still be toiling away at the strawberry patch without him. Park-ha’s annoyed at his nagging, until she gets a gleam in her eye. Uh-oh.

She asks if he wants something sweet, and naturally he answers yes. She points toward a stand, telling him that you aren’t supposed to eat the skin, but the stuff inside is amazingly sweet. And then she buys him a balloon. HAHAHAHA.

I’m expecting her to pop it for him, but instead she goes the helium route and tells him to open wide. He sucks in the air, and then says in his Mickey Mouse voice, “It’s not sweet at all!” And really, it’s so much less dignified to scream threats sounding like a chipmunk; it’s all he can do to fume impotently.

Park-ha asks her neighbors, Becky and Lady Mimi, to feed the Aqua boys dinner, so the girls present them with burgers and fries. Park-ha calls to check in, and they hand off the phone to the boys… who see the prince peering back curiously at them and scramble to kneel in their chairs.

On the train ride back to Seoul, Park-ha nods off on Yi Gak’s shoulder, and he shoves her head away with distaste using a finger. That attracts disapproving looks from other passengers, and it makes him self-conscious. So when she nods off again, he forces himself to endure.

With the gift certificate, Park-ha brings her stepmother to the department store for a shopping day. They both have sticker shock at the high prices, but she presents her certificates and tells Mom to buy whatever she wants.

Tae-mu and Se-na are also on the same floor, being given a sales report, and he’s first to recognize Park-ha. Se-na freezes — she can’t get caught in her lie — and darts off to drag Mom away before anybody notices. Se-na takes her to her birthday lunch, where Park-ha catches up to them.

Park-ha assists Mom to the restroom, and while they’re away Se-na spots a letter sticking out of Park-ha’s bag. Whatever it is, it spooks her and she beelines out of the restaurant with an excuse.

Mom uses the moment to bring up Red Tracksuit. She says that the issue isn’t about damages, but that the company CEO is harassing Se-na to locate him. So can’t Park-ha help just this once?

So it is that Grandma and Tae-mu simultaneously get the news: Red Tracksuit has been located, and is being sent to the CEO’s office. This sends Tae-mu racing to intercept him, and he finds Se-na awaiting Red’s arrival in the lobby. He offers to take over the duty, sending her to check on the fashion show preparations.

Park-ha and Yi Gak arrive at the office building, and she directs him to head inside for his meeting with the CEO. Tae-mu finds him quickly and tries to take him outside, but before he can Great Aunt arrives, and gasps at the striking resemblance. She ushers Yi Gak along upstairs, thwarting Tae-mu’s plans.

The family marvels at the doppelganger, and to inject some humor into the serious moment, a secretary offers to bring in coffee, to which Yi Gak blurts, “I won’t drink coffee! I won’t. Give me something sweet.”

When asked about himself, he gives his name and says he’s looking for the princess, which elicits laughs. He confirms that he doesn’t know Grandma. Uncle asks what he was doing two years ago, so he starts to answer with the truth, until he remembers Park-ha’s warning not to mention his Joseon life to people (bribing him with omurice, HA).

So he says stiffly, “How can I know what happened two years ago? I don’t remember.”

Grandma sighs in disappointment, while Yi Gak sucks down his yogurt in wonder. It’s clear that Uncle thinks he’s some sort of simpleton, and Tae-mu smirks — no threat here — but Grandma breaks down into tears. Taking his hand, she tells him that it doesn’t matter who he is, “But can’t you be my grandson Tae-yong?”

It’s sad, but also a little crazy — to ask a stranger to pretend to be your grandson knowing he’s not the same guy. The others tell her to let go now.

Tae-mu leads Yi Gak out, feeling smug now that his fears have been proven unfounded. He offers taxi fare as a courtesy, which Yi Gak declines, holding up his ten-pack of yogurt, saying this’ll do. LOL. I want to see the look on his face when he discovers dentistry.

On his way out, Yi Gak catches a glimpse of the fashion show under way in the lobby, and his jaw literally drops. Bikinis, everywhere!

And then, a more shocking sight: Se-na, by the stage, directing the show. Pushing forward without regard for the show, he staggers onto the runway screaming, “Princess!” He shoves people aside, beelining for Se-na and grabbing her to him.

She, on the other hand, has no idea who he is or what he’s doing. Shocked, she shoves him away, slapping him across the cheek.

He pleads with her to look at him, like he can’t quite believe she doesn’t recognize him. Security guards drag him away in a mirror of the scene when he discovered the princess’s death, when he was dragged from the pond screaming for her.

COMMENTS

I’m pleasantly surprised with how many culture-clash jokes the drama is churning out that make me crack up; the key is in finding situations that are universal to modern life, but not so obvious that we expect them before they happen. The jokes aren’t necessarily super-witty or sharp, but with just the right timing, they startle laughs out of me. In fact, some of the jokes are pretty simple, whether they’re sight gags or reaction shots of puzzlement. The moment with the cell phone had me half-expecting that the boys would try to “break” their prince out of his tiny prison, Zoolander style.

What really sells the moment, though, is in the foursome’s reactions, and their adherence to the reality of their characters. The boys don’t find their situations funny, and the funny is more dependent on understanding the whole of the joke, and not trying to always be the one making it. Sometimes you don’t get the punchline, but you do your part by playing the moment straight. It cracks me up.

The company storyline is still the drama’s dull patch for me, and I find myself not caring whenever any of those characters take over. I like Lee Tae-sung and think he’s doing a pretty good job — I feel like he’s a conflicted character, though not conflicted enough to redeem his actions or bring him over to the good side. But he seems a better villain than Bae Soo-bin’s character in 49 Days, who’s the guy I keep thinking of when watching the Tae-mu and Se-na scenes. Their whole dynamic is reminscent of that drama, though I find my sympathies reversed; here, the sister figure is one-dimensionally malicious and the villain seems more interesting. (In that drama, I liked the friendship-conflict of the girls, while the villain was amusingly over-the-top.)

In any case, I hope that the drama continues to downplay those scenes; if we must have them, let us have very little of them. Just enough to get the plot where it needs to go.

Given the hilarity of the episode, I was surprised that it managed the turn to more serious threads when we revisited the dead-princess mystery. It’s a tricky thing to manage — to make a joke about coffee or yogurt and then bring us to an emotional beat. I still don’t really know what to make of Yi Gak’s grief for his princess, because I do feel for his loss… even though I really don’t care that Hwa-yong died, she of the devious eyes and small heart. I do want to know more about the masked Bu-yong, and am anticipating seeing where she fits into this whole story.

March 28, 2012 at 6:37 PM

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This drama is so hilarious and cute... It really has more of a sitcom feel to it. I just hope the other guys get a bit more space (and the granny + baddies a bit less, the only person I care about is the crazy aunt). They should be left with Becky and Lady Mimi more often. I'm a bit sad that they shed the training suits, though...

March 28, 2012 at 6:41 PM

March 28, 2012 at 6:43 PM

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YG's helium voice=gold!! Also the look of incredulous distaste on his face when PH nods off on his shoulder was epic! All in all, a good episode....i hope they can keep the momentum since this drama's supposed to have 20 episodes! Kinda seems a tad long for the premise!!

March 28, 2012 at 6:45 PM

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Really enjoying this show! So much funny! I wonder if any of the four will ever cut their hair. Tying them up is a big improvement to me. Thought I miss them in their old period clothes (I love those clothes!).

I still have a feeling that's not the princess' body in the water, but someone else (her sister?). They never showed her face. Why make her be mean in both the past and current times and then she be the victim in the past? That wouldn't really give the prince a reason to go with the sister (and her current counterpart Park ha).

March 29, 2012 at 10:52 AM

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I have to rewatch the first episode, but I don't recall an autopsy being done. I thought it was mere speculation on Man Bo's part about how she could have fallen into the water and died (he speculated she may have been poisoned), and based on the food eaten that night. I would think had an autopsy been done and it was found she was poisoned, the court people would not have readily agreed it was an accident like her father suggested. And the people who saw her in the water only really saw her body floating face down - they even covered the body with a sheet when taking her out of the water still face down (I believe there was even an order not to have her shown, so it was done this way?). There was that witness that claimed to have seen her, but that story was sketchy so it could have been a lie since the court people seemed to be acting weird that time the prince questioned them. And then there was the father's weird nonchalance over her death. So that led me to believe that may not be the princess.

But I'll go back to rewatch that part of the episode to see if I missed the mention of the autopsy.

March 31, 2012 at 4:19 PM

March 29, 2012 at 9:45 AM

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I am really curious to know when will the Prince find out the evil side of his beloved Princess and the modern SeNa. When will he start falling for Bak Ha? Guess Micky is suppose to be a wise Prince and how he will protect Bak Ha. Oh, lots of possibilities........................

March 28, 2012 at 6:47 PM

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thanks javabeans! i was half-expecting girlfriday would do the recaps this week since you did the recaps last week, but really, doesn't matter who does the recaps, all you people here are just awesome. :)

March 28, 2012 at 6:49 PM

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I haven't watch the episode yet, but by just reading, it's really really fun. Oh, just so happy three good dramas, i have all the time in the world! yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Thanks Javabeans, ur writing skills is truly truly more than amazing, it's like ++++++++ A. If i own a magazine I will definiteyl hire u and give u an awesome rate weekly, sadly I'm not. ^^ so i'll just enjoy ur talent here in dramabeans and showers u and girlfriday lots and lots of adoration . mwah D

March 28, 2012 at 6:50 PM

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Wow, this was quick! Thank you for the recap :)

Is it just me, or is Yoochun particularly hilarious here because he looks so eminently suited to sageuk dramas that the time-warp stuff looks genuinely awkward instead of just for the sake of the drama?

March 28, 2012 at 6:51 PM

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To tell the truth, I'm more hooked to this than King, coz Micky is so freaking adorable...he just has that great presence I never thought an idol would ever have as an actor...he just belongs!!! Love it!!

March 28, 2012 at 6:59 PM

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thank you so much for the recap! :)

"On one hand, there are endless modernities to comment on, but on the other, you might think the jokes would start to wear thin. But they continue to be surprisingly funny — and some of them will have you clutching your aching sides and snorting foodstuffs where they don’t belong."

That's exactly what I was thinking while reading this recap. It's absolutely hilarious right now, and I love the shot of Yi Gak holding his bleeding finger up to the sky like the big ol' dork he is. Hopefully, like JB said though, it won't get old or annoying- fingers crossed!

March 28, 2012 at 9:24 PM

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I am very impressed by the writers' ingenuity.

Remember Gilligan's Island? The prop and set team LOVED coming up with ways to use bamboo and coconuts every week. Supposedly THEY were the most broken hearted when the show ended because they never wanted to stop creating something new and feasible.

I hope this writing team got together for months and months and made a massive list of present clashes with past view of the world and they are just warming up.

March 28, 2012 at 10:28 PM

March 28, 2012 at 7:12 PM

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thanks for the recap!
I really like how this drama can squeeze comedy and drama very good.
I think all the cast did great job, but I really attracted to F4+ Park Ha and care less about the chaebol things.

Yoochun did very good job, he cant act well. He make me laugh like crazy and make me cry in mere seconds.

March 28, 2012 at 7:17 PM

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After watching Micky Yoochan in Sungkyunkwan Scandal and Miss Ripley I'm loving this turn around. He is so cute it kills me. I loved the part in this episode where she's trying to get him on a train and he holds his hands up like she's going to do him bodily harm. HA! Plus the best part? His ridiculously happy excitement about winning a stuffed radish. Even if this show goes down hill from here, these first 3 episodes where worth watching.

March 28, 2012 at 9:28 PM

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Micky is really impressing me, too. He is the most fun to watch. I can't wait to see what he says or does next, or how he says it.
HJM is playing straight man pretty well, too, if that is how you describe the exasperated person who has to deal with his shenanigans.

Loved when she mimicked his raised chin move, and they all joined in trying to out chin her.

March 29, 2012 at 4:41 AM

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Anyone noticed the reference to Padam Padam in the train scene? Both running to catch the train - reutilization of the music-. I was mentally screaming in my head "stay away from him girl, and away from the window too". Things could happen...

March 29, 2012 at 5:45 AM

March 28, 2012 at 7:19 PM

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This is sweet torture. I keep hoping at least one of the many dramas that I'm watching will turn lame and I can drop it, but nope...here we are with another gut buster. I swear I almost died laughing during the elevator scene and the randy ahjummas sashaying towards the terrified guys.

The only thing that keeps this from being crack is the Grandmother storyline. I kind of want to fast forward, but I'm afraid I'll miss something.

March 28, 2012 at 7:20 PM

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Do you know what? (This is not a spoiler, just a guess.)

The night the princess died, her sister came to see her. I think after the prince went to sleep, the princess might have gone to tell her sister off-- stop bugging us in bed in the middle of the night.

The conversation got a little heated, one thing led to another, and splash!

March 28, 2012 at 8:52 PM

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That's what I was thinking...but wouldn't the sister run for help? Even if the sister drowning did that dirty trick to her all those years ago, the burned sister really didn't seem like the kind of person to be so evil. Not that we got to tell much about her, but still. She seemed like a good person.

March 28, 2012 at 7:20 PM

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This show has so many possibilities. I wonder if they will be shot back and forth and if Park Ha will be taken along for the ride. It would be an awesome reversal. Imagine Yi Gak with the upper hand, ha!

I can't wait though for Park Ha to know about the dead princess and maybe even her own doppleganger.

March 28, 2012 at 7:41 PM

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I just thought of something, kind of a bummer thought. With all this talk of 49 Days I can't help but realize that this show might have an ending that might leave me crying. If love is something planned for these two, in what reality could they exist together? He has to go back.

March 28, 2012 at 7:46 PM

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I really love how the show has slowed down a little and we get to focus on the character dynamics. I especially love the way the 4 men are totally dependent on parkha, they really are like ducklings. helpless even in finding the toilet (they just walked right past the toilet sign in hangul). So it's a hoot watching yigak's prince ego conflict with his adorable reliance on her. It's great that parkha is mothering them all EXCEPT the prince whom she's not above playing some tricks on.hehe

I was surprised at how the last scene managed to move me as well, though I feel bleh towards his lost love. Can't wait to see how he deals with his changes in feelings as the mystery unfolds.

March 29, 2012 at 11:38 AM

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I wanted to tell JB about that "toilet" sign in Hangul, too! Makes the teaching of the Hangul scene after that more relevant :) I still think that even the learned elite of 18th century guys should know Hangul b/c historically even the royal and other privileged men used it for letters to and from women in their family.

March 28, 2012 at 7:55 PM

March 28, 2012 at 7:57 PM

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I'm kind of amazed at how Yoochun can be so adorably clueless at one thing, and then, not even five minutes later, he can turn on the angst and drama without a hitch. It's really making this drama enjoyable. :)

March 28, 2012 at 8:56 PM

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Yoochun has long ago mastered the art of dorkiness. he's not naturally dorky, but when he turns on his dork-mode, he's full blast dork! so, that fish-out-of-the-water look and expression can easily come to him if he needs it.

what i'm surprised though is his ability to cry. again, he's a "crybaby" too, esp during his time as a former member of dbsk. but, i'm quite surprised of the improvement from SSKS to Ripley. but heck, he did a good job in Vacation though and that Japanese mobile drama. so, it shouldn't really surprise me.

March 28, 2012 at 7:58 PM

March 28, 2012 at 8:01 PM

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Thanks for the recap! Love this show! I think that Pu-yong was the one who drowned since the butterfly she stitched came alive by the tear drops of the Prince. Nobody saw the dead body as it was covered completely under the order of the Prince. I think Pu-yong found out some secret and was killed to cover things it. It might have something to do with the fact that Hwa-yong took night walks when she couldn't sleep.

March 28, 2012 at 8:07 PM

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I agree. For some reason I think the secret may have to do with legitimacy. Much like they're not blood sisters in the future, I don't think they were blood sisters in the past. I think this is the reason why the younger daughter was chosen to be the bride initially because they knew the eldest wasn't fit to marry a prince due to her illegitimacy.

March 28, 2012 at 8:08 PM

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Thank you, Javabeans, for the super quick recap. Glad you're enjoying the humor - I am, too. The parts with evil-girl seem to me to be a bit slow, but I guess it just has to be born. As you say, she still seems a bit one-dimensional.

On the other hand, Yoochun's infamous chun-face is finally in a role where it can be used, and/or he has learned how to use it. The elevator bit totally cracked me up - especially the contrasting reactions of the different sets of girls/women. I've always been a fan of humor that you can sort of see coming, but that when it happens, it exceeds your expectations.

Thanks again. I hope the writers can keep this going. Also, it occurs to me that Chun filmed this episode when he first got back after his father's death. Now that I think about it, it may not have been easy to get the slapstick on under those circumstances.

March 28, 2012 at 8:28 PM

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wow, i really didn't have much anticipation for this show. i really liked the pairing, and i think han ji-min is one of the most adorable actresses ever, but i just didn't think yoochun would really hold up his end of the acting thing.

good thing i placed no bets, because i was so wrong. he's the best thing in the show. his acting level has frigging shot through the roof. how, WHEN did he get so good? he has facial expressions now!

i never thought him bad, but i didn't think he'd improve so dramatically, mere months after ripley ended. i never ever thought he'd be so successful at comedy this early into his acting career. i liked him well enough in sungkyunkwan, albeit slightly stiff at first, but ripley left a bad taste in my mouth. it wasn't yoochun, though i didn't really find him appealing either. i'm finding him so good here it's almost unbelievable.

my main disappointment is lee tae-sung. i've liked him in many of his roles, but here he's delivering a surprisingly bland and flat performance. i also don't like the actress who plays the grandmother either. never did, never will. she gives off a distinctly cold and unlikeable vibe for me.

i'm eager to see how the story unfolds! definitely the mystery has me hooked- who killed the queen, where the real tae-yong has been the past 2 years, and how he'll fit into the story later on... if he's been alive, that is.

March 29, 2012 at 3:59 AM

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I think he's just a natural when it comes to comedy. At least with physical humor/ expressions. (But I guess I know this because I'm a DBSK/JYJ fan haha) I think that he always had the raw talent as an actor, but this role fits him well and allows him to be more expressive than the other two dramas he's been in. I personally liked him in SKKS, but at the same time, the character appealed to me as well. (In general, I would say it was a hit-or-miss for most people. Most people preferred the other flashier, more exciting characters in SKKS.)

Anyway I was expecting him to bring the funny, so I ended up being more shocked at his dramatic acting.

March 28, 2012 at 8:29 PM

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i wonder if and how he'll discover she's his dead princess' 'masked' sister, assuming he never saw her face and all back then...unless he finds out the modern version princess is her sister (albeit step sister) and makes the connection, looking forward to that

March 29, 2012 at 3:01 AM

March 28, 2012 at 8:39 PM

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Thanks for the recap jb!

I burst out with laughter many times, Yoochun is killing me with his facial expressions!
I like Jung Yumi and I'm so very disappointed that her character is so one-dimensional and frankly, just boring. Lee Taseung's character is a bit more interesting but the actor isn't doing a great job.
I was pleasantly surprised that the Yi-Gak must be Taeyong misunderstanding was resolved so quickly. I have a feeling that the family will "employ" him to play the part of the dead guy for some reason, it might bring more funny moments.

March 29, 2012 at 11:47 AM

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True, her character is monotone, but I think Jung Yumi is doing a good job interpreting the character. I love how instead of being the hysterical/dumb/immature evil sister, she talks calmly, works professionally, and acts cleverly. She's a better villain than most others in other dramas.

March 28, 2012 at 9:09 PM

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Thank you so much, javabeans and girlfriday, for recapping Rooftop Prince (and all the other dramas, too). You two (and your minions) bring a smile to my face every day when I see that there's a new, witty recap to read.